Mel Kiper Jr. hands Bengals solid grade for 2026 NFL Draft haul originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The Cincinnati Bengals came into the 2026 NFL Draft without their first-round pick. It's a stunning change from the norm for Cincinnati, a team that rarely, if ever, trades its picks, let alone in the first round.
But, they got Dexter Lawrence to beef up the interior of their defensive line, filling a major need with the No. 10 overall pick. Then, down the board on Days 2 and 3, the Bengals landed some quality players to piece together a seven-player class.
ESPN's Mel Kiper Jr. handed out grades for every team, and despite not having a first-rounder, the Bengals still wound up with a solid "B" grade from the longtime NFL Draft analyst for their solid draft haul.
Kiper didn't factor the Lawrence trade into this grade, signifying that the Bengals made some quality moves during the draft, even without factoring in their premium upgrade using the 10th pick.
In Round 2 at 41st overall, the Bengals took Cashius Howell, a very productive edge rusher who had 11.5 sacks last year for Texas A&M.
Then down the board a bit, the Bengals took cornerback Tacario Davis, who will provide more outside stability opposite DJ Turner II, with Dax Hill likely headed towards the slot.
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In the fourth-round, the Bengals took two players. One was Connor Lew, the Auburn center who is just 20 years old and has a ton of upside.
The other pick was Colbie Young, a wide receiver out of Georgia, to give the Bengals just a bit more depth behind Tee Higgins and Ja'Marr Chase.
Add in Brian Parker II as more interior offensive line help, Jack Endries as tight end depth, and Landon Robinson in the seventh as defensive line depth, and the Bengals had a solid draft haul during the 2026 NFL Draft.
While it wasn't anything overly impressive or chock-full of steals, it was a solid class that should make the team more competitive in 2026 and beyond.
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